Cake
by Victoria123Fangirling
Summary: John realizes some things when he gets cake with Sherlock and Molly. AKA The cake scene that needed to happen. Sherlolly. Slight spoilers for The Lying Detective.
1. Chapter 1

**John realizes some things when he gets cake with Sherlock and Molly. AKA The cake scene that needed to happen. Sherlolly. Slight spoilers for The Lying Detective.**

 **There's a lot of John but I think sometimes it's easier to see their relationship through his eyes.**

 **I don't own BBC Sherlock or the characters.**

" _As I think I have explained to you many times before, romantic entanglement, while fulfilling for other people-"_

" _-would complete you as a human being… Do something while there's still a chance… That's what you're missing. She taught me to be the man she already thought I was. Get yourself a piece of that."_

" _So Molly's going to meet us at this 'cake place'."_

" _Well, it's your birthday. Cake is obligatory."_

John Watson balanced baby Rosie in his arms, holding onto a vanilla cupcake in his right hand as he walked to an empty table. Sherlock and Molly were still picking out their cupcakes at the counter. He placed the cupcake on the circular, blue table, then pulled out a metal chair. He smiled at his daughter as she reached for the cake as soon as they sat down.

"Not yet, Rosie," John gently reminded her, keeping her at a safe distance from the food. He looked over his shoulder to see if Molly and Sherlock were done yet. He had left money with Molly to pay for Sherlock's since Rosie was getting all wriggly. The baby giggled as she nearly touched the cupcake, but John was watching his two friends. Molly was looking playfully stern while Sherlock was wearing a smile that John had rarely seen. It was genuine and there was something there he couldn't quite place. He felt Rosie pulling herself away from him. He looked away and gave in to giving his daughter a little bite of cake.

"I'll gladly bring you, if that's what it takes, Sherlock Holmes," Molly was saying as they walked toward the table. John noticed a candle in Sherlock's cupcake as the two sat down.

Molly placed herself near Rosie. "Looks like someone's already had a little bit of cake," she said in a sweet voice, using a napkin to wipe a tiny bit off the baby's face.

John smiled. When he looked up, a worker was stepping toward their table with a lighter. A grin broke out over his face (the first in a while) as he watched Sherlock roll his eyes at all the grandeur. It was hard to take seriously though as he was still wearing his "Sherlock Holmes" hat.

"Happy Birthday…" John started and him and Molly sang while Rosie made gurgle noises.

"Thank you," Sherlock said, sounding exasperated, but they all knew he was secretly pleased.

"Blow out the candle, mate."

"Don't forget your wish, Sherlock," Molly chimed in.

Sherlock did as told before picking up a fork and cutting into his strawberry chocolate cupcake. He seemed content, John noticed, which was kind of odd when he thought about it. A lot of things had just happened. Raw emotions which he didn't think Sherlock was too fond of or could handle well, but here he was acting as if it was totally normal for him of all people to be getting cake with his friends on his birthday.

However, as John watched his friend, he noticed Sherlock was watching someone else. While most of the time, he ate his cupcake looking down or at the table, John caught his glances toward Molly Hooper eating her strawberry vanilla cupcake. Was it strange behavior? No, most likely not, but it got John's mind working. Mary might not be there with him anymore, but he could imagine what she would whisper to him or say when they got home.

"Hmm, does Sherlock look at people like that a lot?"

And when John would give a non-committal answer, she'd roll her eyes and go, "Does he look at Molly like that a lot?"

What was the answer to that question? Maybe so. Suddenly, he felt more observant than ever. He remembered when he told Sherlock he was going to call Molly after he showed up high at his house in the boot of Mrs. Hudson's Ashton Martin. And Molly was already there. He remembered Sherlock looking back as they went in to see Culverton Smith. He remembered Molly telling him off at the Christening. And after the Opium den. And even years ago at the Christmas party. He nearly groaned thinking of that moment but looked at his two friends, seeing their comfort and comradery even when they weren't speaking. Something had happened between them. Something had happened a long time ago when Sherlock had come back from the dead. He was kinder to her. His smiles were no longer fake and manipulative. John knew Sherlock had changed in the time he knew him and he knew some of their friends attributed the change to himself, but seeing them now, he knew he couldn't take all the credit. Molly was the one Sherlock had asked for help to escape Moriarty. Molly was the one who tried to slap some sense into him when he was back on drugs. Molly was the only one John had really heard Sherlock apologize to. She saw past his cold façade in ways John couldn't. Almost all the times Sherlock Holmes seemed entirely genuine were with Molly.

Someone who makes him human. Someone who teaches him to be his best. Someone who doesn't take his crap. Was that person Molly Hooper?

"May I?" Molly asked, referring to Rosie.

"Oh yeah, of course." John handed over his daughter to her godmother. He noticed how she placed the baby between her and Sherlock. She knew. Knew Sherlock would want to see Rosie after so long. He smiled inwardly at the behavior and picked up his fork to eat his cupcake.

"So how are things going, John?" Molly asked after Rosie was settled and given a tiny bit of strawberry.

"Fine. They're fine. Getting better actually." His smile still seemed pained. John and Sherlock shared a quick glance.

"That's good!" Molly said, always caring. "When my dad passed…well," she looked between her two colleagues, "well, I didn't mean to bring the mood down. I'm sorry." She looked slightly uncomfortable.

"That's alright, Molly," Sherlock stepped in before John could. "You were only trying to help. There have been _many_ emotions today, and neither John or I are equipped to handle them."

Molly gave a small smile. "Okay then, let's talk about something else. Any past cases I haven't heard about?" She smiled at them both.

"Yes, John, what _hasn't_ been published on the blog?" Sherlock asked him. It didn't take much prompting from John to remind him of a case and off he went. It was strange to hear Sherlock recounting their adventures. It was a more scientific approach, but with Molly being a scientist, he supposed she didn't mind. In fact, she seemed quite interested, even in the little grisly details like the number of maggots found on a victim post mortem. He saw her deducing with Sherlock, inferring some things before he even got to that point.

Molly was a smart woman. Smart enough to get Sherlock Holmes' attention. He wouldn't work with anyone else in the morgue and whenever he needed help with an experiment, Molly was the first person he went to. She was much more simple in her cleverness. She wasn't a drama queen like the Holmes' brothers. She was humble in her deductions. She was a strong contrast against The Woman. The Woman who not moments before John was telling Sherlock to take a chance with.

John looked at Sherlock and Molly, now fawning over Rosie together. How pleasantly surprising it was to think of the two of them that way, to even imagine a baby of their own sitting between them. Annoyed with how "romantic" his thoughts had wandered, though Sherlock did refer to him as a romantic, he wondered if he should have pushed Molly towards the detective, and not Irene Adler.

John could see Sherlock and Molly as a couple fitting much better than the detective and dominatrix. It wouldn't be without some work. He knew how difficult Sherlock was to live with, especially after another drug fiasco, but marriage was work. He knew that too, and God knew he wished he had done a better job at it. Life kept changing for him and Sherlock, and who knew when all three of them would be sitting like this again, if ever?

Molly Hooper could complete Sherlock as a human being. John knew it. She always encouraged him to be better than he was. She understood he wasn't going to change very easily and she loved him anyway. She did. John could see it in her eyes. Molly loved Sherlock Holmes. How? He would never know; he barely understood his own friendship with him. But Molly loved him, and if Sherlock had any feelings for the pathologist like John was sure he did, then maybe things could work out. Maybe Sherlock could have a happiness that his life had been deprived of until now, something John had had taken away. Molly Hooper could make Sherlock Holmes happy; it was right there on his face.

"Have you ever thought of having one?" John asked. He purposely directed his question to no one in particular. All or nothing, right?

They both looked up at him in surprise.

"That would normally go under romantic entanglement, John and as I explained at the flat-"

"I think I would. One day," Molly said quietly, looking back to Rosie. Sherlock stopped.

John watched, wondering if Sherlock would continue. His face looked like it had when John had asked him to be his best man. He came out of it a lot quicker however, but he only continued to finish eating his cupcake. The conversation moved on and soon they were leaving the small café.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

 **P.S I'm only planning on this being a two-shot so don't expect too much more. Thanks for reading! ^_^**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Thank you so much for reading! There were so many follows and favorites, and the reviews were wonderful! It's so hard for me to keep the characters in character, so your reviews that said that they were and how much you liked it and were looking forward to this chapter really meant a lot to me. They just brightened my day! I hope you like this installment as well! 3**

Rosie slept in Molly's arms as the three ascended the stairs of 221B.

"Thank you for the birthday celebration. I will see you tomorrow, John," Sherlock said quickly, placing a kiss on Rosie's forehead and a pat on John shoulder. Before John could say anything, he flew to his room, closing the door behind him.

Molly and John looked at one another. They both knew something was bothering the detective.

John walked to the back while Molly sat in his chair with the baby. He rapped on the door before pushing it open slightly. "You alright mate?"

Sherlock was lying on his bed, his fingers poised beneath his chin. "I just need to think."

"You've seemed off since we left the café." John hoped he could get him to talk. He was pretty sure this was about Molly. He didn't throw fits without reason – even if it seemed like it sometimes. And this wasn't about drugs.

" _I just need to think_ ," he insisted.

John stepped into the room and closed the door. "I know I don't usually ask… but with everything going on… _what do you need to think about, Sherlock_?"

"Your question."

"My question."

"At the café. You asked if Molly or I ever thought about having children. You were very ambiguous with who you directed the question. We both assumed you meant individually. However, considering our previous conversation in this flat, I have reason to believe you meant Molly and I together."

"I assumed you would answer separately." John avoided the unsaid question. "You haven't thought about it; she has."

"That's the thing John. I have." Sherlock continued to lay on the bed in his thinking position.

"You have?" John was surprised. They seemed to be approaching an entirely new level to their friendship. Sherlock wasn't always so vulnerable with his thoughts.

"Rosie has changed a lot," Sherlock continued.

"She has." John confirmed and smiled a little.

"I think…I would like to have a family, but… John, I am not a 'family man'." He sounded slightly frustrated. I would be gone for long amounts of time, I would put them in danger, and as I'm sure you've noticed, there aren't many women who could love me and I could love in return." He paused. "I've always thought love was a chemical defect found on the losing side, but after Mary… and Rosie… I wonder if it can't… make you stronger. There is something to be said about having friends and that something could easily be applied to other relationships."

John was proud. He couldn't help it. Out of all people, _his_ wife, _his_ daughter had somehow changed his best friend. He knew Sherlock had been on the path for some time, but he never thought they would get to this point, having this conversation. "It sounds like you've already thought about it, Sherlock. I said it before and I'll said it again, having someone – romantically- in your life would complete you. You'd be a better person. A better detective-"

"How does having someone on your mind constantly help you become a better person, help _me_ increase my skills as a detective? It seems rather distracting-"

"You might actually understand people's feelings!" John needed him to stop fighting. "You've come a long way, Sherlock, but you'll never understand _any_ case that involves love unless you feel it. You'll never understand a crime of 'passion' until you've had it. You'll be more aware because that's what love makes you. Aware of _feelings_ , aware of…the intricacies of the mind or whatever you want to call it."

Sherlock stayed silent. John was afraid he might have gone into his mind palace until something else crossed his mind.

"Sherlock?" he tested. Sherlock responded with a questioning noise and a raised eyebrow in John's direction. "Who's on your mind anyway?"

Apparently, that was the right question because suddenly Sherlock's eyes opened and he jumped off his bed. "Enough of this John. Why don't you take Rosie home and leave Molly to 'drug'-sit me."

Sherlock tried to reach for the door knob and push John out but the doctor stood in his way. "No, Sherlock! We're going to talk about this _now_. I'm not leaving Molly to deal with you like this. Now answer me this, do you like Molly Hooper, Sherlock?"

Sherlock Holmes could make a lot of deductions and inferences from something as small as dirt splatter at the bottom of your trousers, but when it came to emotions, there seemed to be no other way than to state it clear and precise.

Sherlock stopped trying to get around John. He stood his ground, narrowing his eyes at his shorter friend. John stared back.

Suddenly Sherlock walked away, waving his hands about. "Why do you need to be involved in my love life, John? Why do I even need one? One moment, you're telling me to call The Woman and now you're pushing me onto Molly Hooper. Why does it seem so difficult to you that I am not interested in having a relationship?"

"Because Sherlock!" John realized how loud he was being and lowered his voice. "Because being interested in a relationship and being interested in someone are two different things, and… maybe it's out of grief, but I lost my wife, Sherlock. I lost… _my world_ , and I want- I need for you to have that. I need to know that there is hope… for men like us…"

Sherlock stared at his friend. Pain flashed behind his eyes as well. He took a deep breath. "John… I… can't. I don't know how."

"Just ask her out, mate." The tension in the room started to ebb away.

"Out _where_?" Sherlock finally started to show his nerves. It was never said _who_ they were talking about.

John rolled his eyes. "To _dinner_. Go to that Chinese place around the corner. Or Angelo's. Something simple. It'll be just like tonight, but without me or Rosie."

Sherlock opened his mouth then closed it again. His eyebrows were furrowed. John exaggeratedly grabbed the door handle. He opened the door and gestured for Sherlock to go ahead. His eyes were wide, but he gave a quick tug on his suit jacket and walked out. John followed.

Sherlock reached the edge of the living room before Molly turned back to them and gave a small smile. He stopped in his tracks and John hung back.

"Molly Hooper," he started but was slow as if he had forgotten the words, "would you… like to… have a… baby."

John tried not to face palm. This was going to take a lot of work.

"What?" Molly asked with a chuckle. "Didn't we just talk about this at the café?"

"Y-yes. I didn't mean… _that._ I meant _would you like to have… dinner?"_ Look at that, Sherlock Holmes stuttering over a girl. John was both frustrated and amused.

"Dinner?"

"Dinner." Molly still looked confused, but Sherlock just stood there awkwardly.

John sighed and walked forward to grab his baby. When he got close to Molly, he whispered, "It's a date. He's trying to ask you out." He heard her squeak as he backed away with Rosie. Both their faces were red as he made a quick goodbye and headed out the door.

 **Okay, I lied. There will be more. This was supposed to be a short little oneshot, but it got bigger than I thought it would. Also, conclusions are not my strong point apparently; I keep ending it with people walking out of the room haha. I'll work on it.**

 **Anyway, thank you for reading and following, etc. You've all been wonderful!**

 **(By the way, I do not own these characters or the show.)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Welcome to the third segment of what was once a oneshot called Cake. I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: The characters are not my own creation and do not belong to me.**

When John returned the next morning after dropping Rosie off at a sitter's, Sherlock and Molly seemed much the same. They acted like they had at the café, like nothing had really changed. Except… there _had_ been a little awkwardness…

"Oh hello, John," Molly greeted as she came down the stairs from his old room.

He was about to go into the living room. "Hello, Molly. How was last night?"

She smiled. "Good, actually."

John smiled back, feeling rather successful as they entered the flat. He whispered, "Sherlock any good at dating then?"

"I can hear you!" Sherlock suddenly shouted from the kitchen.

The two laughed and entered farther into the flat. Sherlock looked like he had just finished setting up his microscope.

"Getting into better habits, I see," John commented, walking beside the counter.

Sherlock hummed in response, looking through a stack of slides.

"Well," Molly said after a moment, "I was just coming down to say goodbye before I left for work. I'll see you guys later?" She looked to John and he nodded with a smile. Then she turned to the detective. "You're always welcome to come by the lab…Sherlock."

He looked up suddenly. "Oh, of course. I will probably need… something."

"You can always come to say hello." Molly smiled widely at Sherlock as he looked slightly uncomfortable and at a loss for words.

"Um, yes, we'll, uh, do that." He turned to John for affirmation. John gave him a small nod. "I'll see you later, Molly."

"See you, Sherlock. John." She smiled at both of them, then turned and left.

Once she was gone, John turned to his friend, "Should I ask how successful you were, Sherlock?"

"I took her on a date. It was… good."

"So she said." John saw Sherlock's quick pause before returning to his work. "You had dinner… what about _after dinner_? You came back to the flat and nothing else happened?" He knew it would be like pulling teeth getting his best friend to talk about his love life.

"We came back to the flat, watched some crap telly, then went to bed. In separate rooms. Don't be so fanciful, John."

He wasn't, but he wasn't going to let Sherlock know. "You're the one that asked if she wanted a baby."

"No, I believe you started that at the cake shop." The two smiled at one another.

"Hm, maybe you're right," John teased. "You should be thanking me then."

Sherlock was quiet for a moment. "Thank you, John." He quickly put an eye to his microscope, but John saw the red on his ears.

"So tell me about what happened after I left then."

* * *

"Sherlock?" Molly asked. He was still standing there, looking like he didn't know what to do with himself until she gave an answer. She had waited until she heard the door to 221B close, but he still seemed unresponsive.

"Yes," he answered stiffly.

"Are you… asking me out?"

"Yes."

"Why?" she asked with some caution.

"Because…I like you. I like being around you. You calm me… and understand me. You see me and you matter most to me. It seems that if someone is going to matter most then they should be your 'significant other' or whatever they're being called these days," Sherlock was slow at first but tried to end in his usual logical fashion.

"Sherlock, it's one date." Molly needed him to relax or else her nerves would get the better of her as well. Was she even sure she wanted this? Of course, she had for so long, but…

"It's been 10 years," Sherlock tried to explain.

"Yes, Sherlock, 10 years of you ignoring me or manipulating me or belittling me." Molly started to stand up. "One date isn't going to change that." She shouldn't be angry. She should be happy. But the grief and the trauma of the past years, heck the last few months bubbled below the surface. She kept calm however. She knew one date wouldn't change all that. Hadn't he already started to change when he returned to London?

He was silent but nodded. "No, no it's not, but… that's the past. Focus on this moment, Molly."

She looked at him with a sadness in her eyes. "You've changed a lot Sherlock Holmes, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm here because you relapsed again. I'm here because I'm your friend above anything else."

"I know you're my friend. I'm saying I want to be more. I would like to try, try to be the person you deserve."

"Are you going to keep trying?"

"What?" he asked, confused by her question.

"Are you going to keep trying? To be the person I deserve? Trying to act better than you have? Trying to _behave_ yourself? You'll never be a 'proper' boyfriend; I know that, Sherlock. I don't want you to change for me. But are you going to try to be a decent human being? And treat me like one as well?"

Sherlock smiled. He remembered John's words, _she taught me to be the man I already was_. "Okay."

Molly looked taken back. "Okay?"

"Okay. It's been 10 years. Give me 10 more to prove myself. Starting today. Now. Let me take you out to dinner."

Molly stared up at him. She saw everything in his eyes. It surprised her, but it made her willing to try too.

"Fine, Sherlock Holmes, where are we going to eat?" She smiled up at him and Sherlock's heart made a leap it had never made before. He prayed it wasn't some sort of drug induced palpitation. He held out his arm and they headed out the door.

* * *

"We went to dinner at the Chinese place around the corner like you suggested. It was… just like before… without you there. Comfortable. I thought Angelo's would be too much. Maybe next time."

"So there's going to be a next time?"

"I would think that was obvious. Is that really all a date is supposed to be, John?" Sherlock sounded slightly annoyed.

"Well sometimes there's other stuff… but you and Molly have known each other a long time. You don't have to get to know one another, you just need to spend time together. Girls like to be taken out once in a while."

"Molly is different than most _girls_."

"I'm sure she still wants to be treated like one though. She wants to feel special. To you, Sherlock. She wants to feel like she matters to you."

"And I've told her so on multiple occasions."

"You have?"

"Yes, John! I'm not entirely lack of emotion as you seem to think."

"I know you're not! I just didn't think you had told her already."

"Well. I have. It was… brought up, yesterday."

"Well that's…good. That's good, Sherlock. I'm happy for you."

"Thank you."

John leaned against the counter with a grin. "So you're going to see her again?"

"Of course, I'm going to see her again. We work together," Sherlock said with an eye roll.

"You know what I mean."

Sherlock smiled, peering into the microscope. "Yes."

John grinned. Things would work out. He believed that. They needed happiness in their lives. He had Rosie and Sherlock had Molly, and they could solve crime and help people. They could help each other get through anything.

 **The End**

 **Thank you all for reading this! I've really appreciated all the support. 3**


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